How do you host your UT server?

[Infra`]

I've been messing around with setting up a hub using a Windows Azure VM. The hub has been laggy at times but overall plays ok. I'm only using Azure due to free monthly credits related to my job. I'm curious as to what other people are using to host their hub/dedicated servers. I am interested in finding an affordable alternative to host UT servers with good performance. I'm mainly interested in US servers but hosts for Europe and other areas would still be good to know.

Currently I have:

Host: Windows Azure
Type: VM (vs Hardware)
OS: I have tried Windows Server 2012 and Ubuntu Server 14.04 LTS
Server Type: Hub (vs Dedicated)
Specs: 2 cores, 3.5 GB RAM, 135 GB disk / 4 cores, 7 GB RAM, 285 GB disk
Approximate Cost: $90 / $179 a month
Happy with performance? Not really. Overall it is playable but often feels laggy, resulting in shots not firing, translocators not shooting, infrequent 1-2 second lag spikes a match, and players complaining.

What do you guys use to host your servers?

[BlueCloud]

I've also used Google's Cloud(still a VM) with Linux and dedicated cores and I have the same complaints.

The game appears to start very well but midgame we have missed shock balls, missing trans, trans lag, general lag etc.

Ping goes up by 10 to 20ms midgame but is still decent for me (around 40) when these issues happen.

Personally the new build has been better for me, but others still have complaints.

I have tried making it quadcore with 7.5GB of RAM and nothing else running on the server with the same results.

The CPU usage has been 20% to 30% at peak, so it's not about the servers getting overloaded. Same with memory usage which is not even 10% of available memory.

There is also a separate issue with a lag spike when specs/players join or leave midgame.

[PayBack]

NFO gaming server VPS. I pay 20 bucks a month for a 2 core 2 GB Windows 2008 server. I run a single 10 MAN CTF server on it and it never sees above 30% utilization and averages less than a GB of memory. The server runs very smooth, no lag, no hiccups. Im in Michigan and the server is in Chicago, I average around 20ms of latency to the server. Most people are in the 20-60ms range on the east coast, 80-100 on the west coast. They have datacenters all over the US. I have ran it as a hub before with a bit more utilization but with the current population of was never able to max out the server.

[Megasporwic]

I also run NFO gaming server VPS 4 core 4 gig memory, Running Windows server 2012R2! Servers in Chicago I ping 60-66ms from Buffalo. It seems to run a hub just fine up to 8 instances....and I run 3 websites and a Teamspeak from it! 49.99 a month

[phroxen]

I got an NFO Single core Ubtuntu server back in 03/15 to mess around with UT4. Was going to upgrade if any issues happened but I've had a 10man mumble, 10man teamspeak, and a 12man ctf server running. Never had an issue playing on the server even when its 12/12.

Load is around 0.07-0.20

$7.99/mo

[Reverse7]

I'll put some rough numbers on the table for what I have:

Hypervizor: KVM / VPS
HDD: ~100+GB (Op'ed out of SSD, as it was +$15 more)
RAM: 8GB
CPU: 4x 3.7GHz
Quota: 5+TB
OS: "Run your own", so I've got Windows 8.1 Professional
Network: ~150+ MBIT Symmetrical
First Class Equinix Datacenter
Price: ~60$ - 70$

Am I Happy? - Overall I am, I mean, try getting something like that where I am and it's pretty hard to find.

I do run a side-by-side UT4 and UT3 server, the UT3 server consistently reports "server tickrate lag" even when no other service runs.
I've been told that this is most likely due to Windows 8.1 Professional being a hog of resources, I'm not a Linux user (probably should be though) (and yes, I've lowered tick rates etc).

[Epidemic]

got this box http://xerver.space-debris.fr/ for less that 18E in france in roubaix it's really low cost
many distro are available and u can use a network boot too and choice for a 1000hz kernel
they host in CA too in beauharnois near montreal
kimsufi.com

[i_hax]

Off topic, but I find the number of people running Windows-based servers astounding.

[Scoobydooby]

Glad I found this thread as I'd like to get my own server for UT4 setup.

For those of you using NFO, how do you go about getting the initial server setup? I look on the website and it asks player count and server game but UT4 isn't listed..

Just curious how you guys went about the setup.. I'm noob at this and would appreciate a quick run through

[Lucid Dreams]

Glad I found this thread as I'd like to get my own server for UT4 setup.

For those of you using NFO, how do you go about getting the initial server setup? I look on the website and it asks player count and server game but UT4 isn't listed..

Just curious how you guys went about the setup.. I'm noob at this and would appreciate a quick run through

They don't yet offer a simple pre-installed game server for UT4. Probably nobody does yet as the game is still pre-alpha. If you're up for the challenge, you can rent a Virtual Private Server (VPS) or a Dedicated Server, both of which NFO offers. You'd just be renting the server--you'd have to set up everything yourself. Check out the server wiki to learn more:

https://wiki.unrealengine.com/Server..._Tournament%29

[Ragnos]

The reason nobody is offering UT4 servers right now is that it's uncertain which concept will sustain, the Oldschool Single Server model or the new Hub model. The latter comes with some issues, like no limitation of instances. If you are offering a gameserver, you don't want the customer to simply increase the slots without paying for it. Now he can spawn entire new servers without regulation, which is a huge showstopper, both financial and security wise.

As long as Epic doesn't introduce some arguments to the command line so we can put limits on the server which can't be altered from the configuration files, those hubs will have a really hard time getting introduced by commercial server hosters.

[PayBack]

The reason nobody is offering UT4 servers right now is that it's uncertain which concept will sustain, the Oldschool Single Server model or the new Hub model. The latter comes with some issues, like no limitation of instances. If you are offering a gameserver, you don't want the customer to simply increase the slots without paying for it. Now he can spawn entire new servers without regulation, which is a huge showstopper, both financial and security wise.

As long as Epic doesn't introduce some arguments to the command line so we can put limits on the server which can't be altered from the configuration files, those hubs will have a really hard time getting introduced by commercial server hosters.

I think the real reason is because its not in a product ready state. You cant sell people a UT server and then tell them they need to learn linux and UT programming to run in it properly. Its not a completed product, gaming server companies want to sell a game that an admin can run from a gui interface that any average joe can figure out. As far as limiting resources thats pretty easy to do. The gaming company sets up the hub instance, they configure the max allowed users/sessions at the OS level like we can now. Then they give the client access to the gui interface where these options are not available.

[Scoobydooby]

"They don't yet offer a simple pre-installed game server for UT4. Probably nobody does yet as the game is still pre-alpha. If you're up for the challenge, you can rent a Virtual Private Server (VPS) or a Dedicated Server, both of which NFO offers. You'd just be renting the server--you'd have to set up everything yourself. Check out the server wiki to learn more:

https://wiki.unrealengine.com/Server..._Tournament%29"



Thank you for the link. I will be looking into this. I am a Windows sysadmin so will go the windows route and try to get one setup as a dedicated server.

Edit: One quick question.. is there a preferable server to be using for this? NFO gives the option of 2008, 2012 and 2012 r2.. Is it safe to assume that any of these would be sufficient for running UT Server?

[PayBack]

I would avoid 2012 for right now, last time I tried running it with a UT build like 6+ months ago I ran into weird issues. They dont really test the new builds on windows boxes so its best to stick with the tried and true servers, 2008.

[Lucid Dreams]

I initially tried Windows Server 2012 R2 and couldn't get anything to work. I reformatted to 2008 and still couldn't get anything to work. Then i tried Ubuntu and OMG... nightmare. Went back to Windows Server 2012 R2 and everything has been smooth sailing ever since... I don't think I did anything different but who knows. Megasporwic posted above that's he's rolling 2012 R2 with NFO as well.